mabuti
/maˈbuti/
The Tagalog word for 'good' is mabuti.
Mabuti is an adjective used to describe things that are pleasant or enjoyable. It can also be used as an exclamation, Mabuti!, to mean 'That's good!' or 'Fine!' when responding to news.
Meaning: pleasant, enjoyable (adj)
Which one should you use?
While mabuti means 'good' in terms of character or quality, maganda is used to mean 'good' in the sense of being visually pleasing or beautiful. To say food is 'good', Tagalog speakers use masarap rather than mabuti.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective mabuti does not change its form based on the gender or number of the noun it describes.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈbuti/
Did you know?
- The word mabuti shares an ancient ancestor with the Sanskrit word bhūti, which relates to 'existence' or 'prosperity'.
- In traditional Filipino values, mabuti is often tied to the concept of kabutihan, which encompasses a broad sense of holistic righteousness and well-being.
- The prefix ma- in mabuti is a common way in Tagalog to turn a noun or root into an adjective.
Examples in context
- Mabuti po siyang tao.He is a good fellow.This sentence illustrates how to describe a person's character using mabuti.Tatoeba #11647084 by qwertzu, translation #288943 by CC
- Mabuting kaibigan si John.John is a good friend.This sentence shows how to use mabuti to describe a friend.Tatoeba #4517807 by kanlaon, translation #4515083 by kunwoo
- Alam mo ba ang mabuti sa masama?Do you know good from evil?This sentence demonstrates using mabuti to distinguish between good and evil.Tatoeba #11476888 by qwertzu, translation #17459 by Zifre
- Magandang umaga po!Good morning, sir/ma'am!
- Magandang gabi!Good evening!
- Magandang araw!Have a great day!
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jose and Christina are discussing a book they both read.
- JoseMabuti ba ang kuwento ng libro?Was the story of the book good?
- ChristinaOo, mabuti ang takbo ng istorya.Yes, the flow of the story was good.
- JoseGusto ko rin ang mabuti niyang pagkasulat.I also like how it was well-written.
- ChristinaTotoo, talagang nakakatuwa itong basahin.True, it is really enjoyable to read.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mabuti, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mabuti, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
